‘StormReady’ status ups UW’s ability to cope with extreme weatherDistributing weather radios to nine heavily used buildings on campus, so building managers can be remotely alerted at any time of day or night when the area is threatened with extreme weather, is one of the steps taken by UW Emergency Management to get the Seattle campus “StormReady.”

It helped the UW Seattle campus become the first college or university in the state — and the only school within the PAC-12 — to be recognized as StormReady by the National Weather Service.

Other resources and policies put in place to earn the designation include starting classes for UW facilities services employees who might face hazards as part of their work during extreme hot or cold weather, establishing a 24-hour warning and emergency operations center and adding information on the “Preparing for an Emergency: Resources” page about current weather conditions collected from sensors on the roof of the Atmospheric and Geophysics Building.

Thomas Jenkins, a senior in environmental studies, led the certification project during the course of nine months. Jenkins, whose name on his gmail account is “weatherpunk,” said the UW Program on the Environment helps students like him pursue projects and internships that meld science with advice on crafting and implementing policy.

First Green Seed Fund proposals due next weekDecember 3 is the first deadline for the recently launched Green Seed Fund meant to provide practical solutions to helping UW reach its sustainability goals.

The fund will award grants of $25,000 to $75,000 from a pool of $250,000 provided by the university. Research projects should last approximately one year and include at least one student, faculty and staff member, with each individual playing an active role. Proposals are sought from all three campuses, and Harborview. President Michael Young and Provost Ana Mari Cauce inaugurated the fund this fall.

Ease Net access at 5,500 institutions with “eduroam”The UW recently joined eduroam, a worldwide free service that provides instant, authenticated and encrypted network access to Wi-Fi networks at participating universities. Faculty, staff and students visiting any of 5,500 participating institutions worldwide can obtain secure Internet access, using their own UW netIDs and passwords. Visitors from those institutions may also use their credentials to access the UW’s wireless network.

To use the new services, set up your eduroam credentials before you travel and then your device should automatically connect to eduroam when available, according to the website by UW-IT, which brought eduroam to the UW.